Posts by MikeReganNoise

jhunger said
So yeah, there’s a lot of nervousness there. I can’t say that I’m going to leave AudioJungle fully, but I’m in the process of removing items from my exclusive account and two others (these were from a long time ago and aren’t really performing anyway), and am talking with my collaborator on another one to decide whether to call it quits there as well. My main account I’m going to leave open for now, though.

BTW, in case anybody’s reading this and thinking “OMG I should delete my profile!!!” I should clarify that there are multiple reasons for me wanting to close accounts outside of my main one. For me it’s an overall shift of focus and strategy, namely around the sanity perspective of maintaining one account and also making some of my work available for PRO submission. The tax issue is just one small input that’s spurring me to move the songs off sooner rather than later.

Ultimately I believe that it’s a good sign that Envato is taking more time with the US reporting issue, and hopefully once they have the input they need they’ll make the right decisions around it.

Well said Joel, thanks for the insight. I know I’ll be anxiously awaiting some news about 2015 as well.

I know this information might be buried somewhere in the many threads that have been locked, but I want to ask while the asking is good…

With regards to Envato’s new US tax policy; I know that we aren’t being issued a 1099 for tax year 2014, so therefore I won’t be reporting my 2014 income as the full “item price” which includes the new “author fee.” I’ll just be reporting what I always have, my yearly total of PayPal deposits from Envato. Is everyone doing the same thing?

As for 2015, I’m not sure if it’s been settled…will the new policy be implemented in tax year 2015? I read at some point that it was on hold while everything is investigated further.

Considering how the new policy might affect the my tax bracket, I’m thinking about leaving AJ. But that’s only because I’m not sure how the “author fee” will be deductible as an expense. Is it really possible that a large amount of “income” we don’t actually receive can be deducted as “negative income” and/or an expense?

Argh, I wish I could gain some clarity on this. I love AJ, the community especially. I don’t want to leave, but I feel like there is something off about this new policy.

Might I suggest that vocal tracks with lyrics be sold at a higher price point, considering that they have an additonal element element (copy) to them.

Food for thought….
I realize that it’s late in the game and authors like Tim have already been killing it with Vocal tracks. Although unfortunately it doesn’t apply to Audio jungle, I believe that for broadcast you can be eligible (if you’re SAG) for additional residuals based on your likeness (voice) being in a spot.

Thank you for the response. It is seriously awesome that you’ve taken the time to chime in

I have to add, since I don’t often post, that your music is great and every time I catch a Sam Adams spot on T.V. I feel really happy for you because you proved to all of us that you can make it in this industry by being independent, creative and mostly importantly original.

It’s funny, as someone who initially started work as an engineer with local bands I realized that the market value of my skills is only so high where I live. Bands and musicians are usually pretty broke. I know how it goes, truly. So as an engineer I was affordable, to my own detriment.

When I got into composing and writing for visual media I had to learn right away that local bands are VASTLY different clients than those who hired me as a composer/sound designer/mixer.
It’s ALWAYS hard to know how to price yourself, what sort of deal to make, what their budget might consist of, etc… One thing is always true, and I think I picked it up mostly from reading posts from Tim, Gareth and many other talented authors here on AJ.

Our ideas and art have value, lots of value. It’s important to be tough when negotiating and to not leave any stone unturned. Every time we stand our ground as freelancers and writers we are adding value for everyone in the community and that’s the only way to seriously keep this industry going.

Thank you so much for the response. The 1 year exclusive license makes a lot of sense. I know protecting myself is key as I’ve made some foolish and ambiguous deals in the past I wish I could take back.

Again, thanks for the advice and all of the help you’ve offered the community as a whole.

Recently, I was asked to come up with a bid for custom music for a job and the client (who, I’m not dealing with directly) is interested in a “complete buyout.” I am creating my estimate for the producer/animator on this project and I know that he is not knowledgeable about licensing, just like myself.

The job is for a major brand, known around the world. I also know that the work is for web.

I realize that a completely buyout in perpetuity for a piece of music could be tens of thousands of dollars. To me it seems unlikely that even a major brand would be willing to spend that amount on something web based.

I think it might be better to offer a 3-5 year exclusive license, at a reasonable rate(although still something worth a damn) rather than sign away something that I create forever.

Any thoughts would be MUCH appreciated.

I don’t often post on the form but I’ve found a huge amount of great information from you guys. I think this is a great community of people trying to do something they love, knowing that it has value and that we all want to maintain the value of creative work for the future.